"There's so much stuff here, let me help you," Chisa came to Liu Ming's side and offered.
"You! Never mind, someone will come to help in a bit. You just wait and enjoy the delicious food."
Liu Ming had just seen Chisa make dinner, and her cooking skills were just so-so.
Two people with vastly different cooking skills collaborating isn't helping, it's getting in the way.
Chisa didn't know this, her face immediately darkened, and her expression instantly became unpleasant.
She came to help with good intentions, yet she was disliked, and his tone of voice was even as if he was doing her a favor, it was too infuriating.
"Hmph," she snorted heavily, then went to sit beside her sister Nanahua, staring at Liu Ming with a dark gaze.
With so many ingredients, she wanted to see how long it would take Liu Ming to handle them.
Liu Ming suddenly felt a chill down his spine, as if he was being watched by some monster.
He looked around, but didn't notice anything unusual.
When he looked at Chisa, his expression changed again and again.
It was that look again.
What was going on? Why was she looking at him like he was trash again?
But he couldn't ask now; everyone was waiting for him to make dinner.
Liu Ming had no choice but to start processing the ingredients under pressure.
He first dealt with the pufferfish, as it was poisonous.
It was best to handle it while it was still alive, as this would make it safer.
"Liu Ming, this is pufferfish, right? Do you have a relevant license?" the shop owner asked worriedly.
"No, why?" Liu Ming looked up, puzzled.
However, the movements of his hands did not stop; he was still processing the pufferfish.
The shop owner opened his mouth but didn't know what to say next.
Pufferfish is poisonous, and without a relevant license, it would definitely be very dangerous.
But Liu Ming's movements were simply too fast. In just a moment, he had processed one pufferfish.
Such skilled craftsmanship, even those with licenses probably couldn't do it.
The shop owner also stopped talking and obediently sat back in his original spot.
Liu Ming didn't care what he was thinking and continued to quickly process the remaining pufferfish.
He took out half for soup, and the rest were all sliced thinly.
They were arranged on a porcelain plate and placed on ice to maintain their freshness.
At this time, Tadokoro Megumi also came down. She had already put on her apron, looking full of energy.
"Master, I'm here," Tadokoro Megumi smiled sweetly.
"Oh, you're here. Then you can handle the lobster and grouper. I'll leave these two ingredients for you to cook. You can cook them exactly as you like, let me see your progress during this time."
Liu Ming had originally intended to tell her directly what dishes he planned to make with these two ingredients.
However, after thinking about it carefully, he changed his mind.
It would be better to let Tadokoro Megumi decide the cooking method herself, as this would help her grow, and Liu Ming also wanted to witness her growth.
"I understand, Master," Tadokoro Megumi took a deep breath, her expression immediately becoming serious.
'Very good eyes,' Liu Ming glanced at her, a relieved smile on his face. His apprentice had indeed grown a lot.
Seeing that Liu Ming actually let a young girl help, Chisa's mood became even more displeased, and her gaze grew even darker.
Liu Ming himself was one thing; from the way he handled the pufferfish, she could tell the gap between herself and him.
But how old was Tadokoro Megumi? In what way was she inferior to the other party?
However, Tadokoro Megumi's next actions left Chisa dumbfounded.
Although she couldn't match Liu Ming's speed, her decisive and precise techniques, along with her steady and solid skills, all indicated her superb culinary artistry.
No wonder Liu Ming didn't let her help; if she were there, she would probably only hold them back.
The two spent a good half an hour, finally processing all the ingredients. Then they spent another hour to complete all the dishes.
Because some dishes require time for the flavors to develop, they couldn't be rushed.
However, this did not affect everyone's meal.
"Alright, we can start eating. The remaining few dishes can be left to simmer slowly. By the time we're mostly done, they should be ready," Liu Ming arranged for everyone to come and serve the dishes.
At this time, Shinji and the others also arrived. There were three of them: two men and one woman, namely Shinji, Jiro, and Hamaoka Azusa.
They didn't stand on ceremony at all. Seeing the busy crowd, they walked straight over to help serve the dishes.